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Introduction:
Markings on military vehicles are to be
divided into those to register an individual vehicle for
administrative purposes and additional unit and tactical markings
showing its place in the actual army as a whole. Military unit/tactical markings can be a whole field of
investigations and is done much better in books like British
Military Markings 1939-1945 by Peter Hodges.
I therefore limit this page to the application of registration numbers as
applied to British military motorcycles and can be used to finish an MC in
military guise in a relative correct way.
As in the field of colours, there were rules and regulations, and
practical circumstances leading to a certain level of irregularities.
The next info is limited to the period between 1936 and into the
50'ties when WD Nortons were built and mostly used.
Upto 1939 all British military vehicles were
given both a civilian registration plate and a "painted on" military
Census number (also refered to as WD number).
Army, Navy and Airforce all had a seperate service related numbering
system.
The application of civilian registration was deleted in 1939 leaving
only the military census number for identification. Already released
civilian numbers remained on the MC's but were subsequently removed
as result of new regulations,
during maintenance or write-offs.
For the British Army, census numbers were
initially applied at the Central Ordnance Depot Chilwell, the Royal
Army Ordnance Corps primary receiving and distribution centre.
Lateron, presumably late 1939 or 1940, they were applied by the
individual motorcycle manufacturers in blocks reserved by Chilwell
as evidenced by pictures inside the BSA factory.
It is also assumed that the census numbers were applied in
consequetive order with engine/frame numbers from there onwards.
Prior to that they were applied without any regular link to
engine/frame number.
RAF machines were mostly distributed from
RAF Maintenance Command Hartlebury, and it is assumed that the
service specific numbers were allocated there.
Navy numbers were possibly allocated by Naval Ordnance Department in
Bath.
Information on military registration of motorcycles by both RAF and
RN is extremely limited/unavailable.
For classification purposes, the Army used a
letter prefix to the census number, e.g. T for tanks, L for lories, A for ambulances, C for motorcycles
etc.
During a certain period the Canadians used an additional C in front
of the British Army classification letter, but retained the original number.
All military motorcycles up to 1947 were registered with a
C followed by a 5 to 7 digit number.
Initially, the first 2 numbers were an indication for the year of application, 35xxxxxx to 39xxxxxx numbers can therefore be traced
back fairly easy to 1935 thru 1939.
The enormous increase in required vehicle numbers in 1939 made this
system untenable and the relation with year of introduction was lost
afterwards.
Around 1947 all motorcycles remaining on active duty were
re-registered with a civilian type number and the previous census/WD numbers
were removed and number plates re-introduced. This transfer from one
system to another is recorded in so called "Key Cards" which
show which MC/census number was linked to which post-war number.
For Nortons the post-war ranges were from 96-YB-22 to 99-YB-99, from 00-YC-01
to 61-YC-02 and from 00-ZB-01 to 30-ZB-37, with a number of
blocks inbetween marked "not taken up".
Application and positions of registration
numbers:
The civilian number plates used on military
MC's were the usual for the period, black background with white
lettering, either hand painted or by use of a template and fixed to both front and
rear mudguard (see below), three letters followed by three numbers, where
the letters indicate (in different blocks) the county where
the vehicle was registered.
No actual guideline has been discovered for the period of 1935 to
1939 until now. Based on period
pictures, the census number was only applied on the near side
of the petrol tank in a black rectangle with white lining (shown
above). Box outer dimensions approx, height. .. inch., width
.. inch. and line
width 1/4".
The letters/numbers on motorcycles were approximately half the size of
those applied to WD cars/lorries/trucks and approx half of the civilian numbers.
With the start of hostilities (1939 and BEF) it appears
that the black rectangle and civilian number plates were
painted over in green and that the census numbers were re-applied on
either the original numberplates or both sides of the petrol tank
and rear number plate.
Army Council Instructions A.C.I. 465 of may 1940 shows general
guidelines for the application of registration
markings but basically written with "B" vehicles in mind (describing
bonnet and rear of vehicle) but likely to be seen as general
guideline
for motorcycles as well. It appears to specify the already used
practices retrospectively.
Marking on motorcycles to be 1 3/4 inch high and 1 1/4 inch (i.e.
half of the ones used on other vehicles).
A.C.I. 2261 Oct 1942 states to apply numbers on off-side and
rear-side only to preserve paint.
A.C.I. 1672 from November 1942 however
specifies numbers to be painted in white (or blue if Airborne) and
on both sides of the petrol tank only. Change from recent A.C.I.
2261 possibly because by this time motorcycles did not usually have
a rear number plate anymore.
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